Photo by Don Feria/ISIphotos.com

BY ADAM SERRANO

For Los Angeles Galaxy youngsters Michael Stephens and Tristan Bowen, the season has been something of a roller coaster.

The young duo have been key contributors to the Galaxy, with Bowen tallying two goals and an assist while Stephens has seven assist and a goal.

Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIPhotos.net

BY ADAM SERRANO

Landon Donovan is getting used to playing the hero.

A Donovan brace in five minutes completed the Los Angeles Galaxy's first come back of the season as the league leaders defeated a heroic D.

After several fun days of speculation as to who would replace outgoing Persib coach Darko Janockovic the news of his replacement came as a bit of an anti climax.
From the highly unlikey, Benny Dollo having just signed a contract with Mitra Kukar, to the exotic, Thailand assistant coach Steve Darby via the old standby in times of need Bambang Nurdiansyah hardly a day went by without a new name being linked with the high profile.

Rebuffed in his efforts to coach in MLS or with U.S. Soccer, Soccer America's Ridge Mahoney reports that former U.S. international Eric Wynalda is taking up with a Mexican club.
Murcielagos, which plays in Mexico's Segunda División (third level), has hired Wynalda as its president of international operations.

Back again with another week of former Wizards updates. First off, congratulations to Stephen Armstrong and John Wilson, two former Wizards who are on the Charleston Battery team that won the USL-2 title this past weekend, beating former Wizards Edson Elcock and Yomby William 2-1 in the final. Elcock got Richmond's goal in the losing effort.

Aston Villa's "beauty parade" has reportedly ended and the club is ready to crown their new coach. The Premier League squad's chief executive Paul Faulkner joked a week back that the fourth place side had interviewed so many candidates recently that the search for a coach to replace Martin O'Neill had become a "beauty parade" type of event full of qualified contestants.

With five more rounds to go, it's still everyone's guess who would eventually walk away with the championship.
Over the past few days, the title contenders - Etoile played both Tampines Rovers and Home United played with mixed results.
(Picture above) Having lost to Home United on a Shahril Ishak's strike on "Friday Night Football", the Frenchmen came back strongly to beat the Stags on the same artificial surface.

By Clemente Lisi -- Rookie New York Red Bulls defender Tim Ream plays on a team that includes international stars Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez, yet he has been able to grab a lot of the spotlight thanks to his outstanding performances this season. Ream, a central defender, played at St. Louis University, but never appeared for the US National Team at any age level after four NCAA seasons.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Toronto FC's recent five-match winless skid has crippled the team's playoff hopes, with last week's shocking home loss to D.C. United providing the lowpoint for the season.

That was enough for TFC ownership to decide changes were needed.

Well that is the end of that. It took less than a season for Toronto FC to figure out that Preki was not a good fit for the organization. With a dedicated fan base and ambitious goals the club is moving in another direction as they have fired Preki as well as club director of soccer Mo Johnston.

We're not sure how serious this is but it looks like Maradona and his assistant coach with Argentina Alejandro Mancuso are going to throw their name in to the hat for the Portugal national team post.
Previous coach, Carlos Queiroz was fired after receiving a six-month ban for disrupting a drug test after one of his team's games.

Preki was dismissed yesterday as the head coach of Toronto FC, which also saw Director of Soccer Mo Johnston removed from his post as well.
Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America writes of the disappointing tenure of Preki, and about previous MLS managers who were removed during such a brief coaching stint.

Singapore coach Radajoko Avramovic - "The group we are in is slightly easier than the other group where there will be three title contenders in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
"And there are no secrets, our target is to be in final."
Thailand coach Bryan Robson - "I think whichever way it was going to go you are going to get at least one tough team, especially as they have home advantage," he said.

Landon Donovan equalizes for the Galaxy Saturday against D.C. United in Carson (AP Photo).

If you watched Saturday night's Galaxy-D.C. United game you witnessed history.

That's because Landon Donovan's two goals tonight in the 2-1 win pushed him past Assistant Coach Cobi Jones as the Galaxy's all-time leading scorer.

It has been a stormy time for Darko Janackovic since he took over at Persib but matters seems to be drawing to a close. The players threatened a strike at the weekend in protest at his authoritarian methods.
I understand he was called to a meeting while assistant coach Robby Darwis took training.

Mick Lyon's name has been tied to the great teams and moments in Aces Soccer - both as a player, assistant coach, and as the first women's soccer coach here at UE. He has been a role model to many, as well as a close friend.
Mick was regarded not only for his ability to create and finish scoring chances, but for his tremendous will and ability to battle as the midfield general in the great Aces teams of the past.

Tony Pulis: Don't even get me started on
those walking shoes you're wearing.What the hell happened to sports? Not the sports themselves; we're not going down the dark path of steroids, $10 stadium beers, ridiculously high salaries, or dead hookers in trunks. But when did it become acceptable for coaches to dress like fools?

By JOHN BOSCHINI

Just by looking at him, it's a little difficult to believe that Ryan Kinne is one of the United States' top striking prospects. Standing at only 5-foot-8 and weighing about 160 pounds, Kinne isn't the archetypal big and physical American striker.

In the darkest hour of the sport of soccer this calender year, Togo national team keeper Kodjovi Obilale lay face down on the floor of his team's travel coach bleeding from multiple gun shot wounds to his back as bullets continued to whiz through the windows of the team's bus.

The Togo national team was on a trip to the African Cup of Nations and we all have heard of the tragedy those players faced.

I thought it would be fun to take a quick look at some stats comparing last years 2009 Minnesota Thunder team to this years 2010 NSC Stars team.

Thanks to Tom who left a comment on IMS the other day and inspired me to do a little digging.

With a only three months to put together this team from scratch, lets compare the numbers.